Economic Reporter :
The entrepreneurs of the generator manufacturing sector want policy support to boost the industry as there is a huge potentiality to export to other countries by meeting the growing demand of the country.
The country’s diesel genset market size is expected to witness growth during 2020-2026 and currently, the total import of diesel generators is around 1500-1800 units yearly.
FG Wilson, Tempest, Caterpillar, Cummins and GLAD (the only Bangladeshi brand) are the prominent generator brands in the market.
Among these, Energypac Power Generation Ltd (EPGL) has almost 23 per cent market share with both GLAD & FG Wilson diesel generators.
But there are some challenges that must be addressed to ensure the proper growth of the industry, the sector insiders said.
One of the major problems is that many seasonal businessmen import items from cheaper sources with sub-standard combinations, and non-genuine items with a view to offering abnormal pricing, which ultimately creates confusion in the market and hamstrings the growth of the industry, they added.
The future of this industry is immense and according to 6Wresearch (the premier, one-stop market intelligence and advisory center), Bangladesh’s diesel genset market size is expected to witness growth during 2020-2026.
Mohammad Masum Parvez, Head of Energy and Power of the EPGL, said that the government should extend support to the industry to boost the sector.
First of all, implementing a proper duty structure can restrict seasonal importers from getting involved in this business, he said.
Secondly, local assemblers like GLAD need more government patronization and support like inclusion in the PWD brand list as a class ‘A’ brand with Bangladeshi origin. Meanwhile, the government can increase import tax on complete DG sets to offer diesel generators at more competitive rates than imported items, he added.
With proper support from the concerned bodies, this industry can grow manifolds and contribute to the economy by creating employment opportunities.
The government should encourage local manufacturers because if the number of local manufacturing plants increases, there will be more job opportunities for technicians, local technical experts, and fresh graduates from engineering institutes.
